What are you supposed to do with your kids during the school holidays if you work ?

flea72

the kids usually go to grandparents one day, i take 1 or 2 days off, as does OH, and then we use childminder for 1-2 days a week as well. so between the 4 of us, we have the holidays more or less covered

the only problems occur, when we have to eat into our annual leave, due to sickness throughout the year, as it means we end up not having much time off altogether as a family, as we have all had to take our days separately

in august, we try to work it so that i take a fortnight off, as does OH, but we only have one week where we overlap together, so thats 3wks of the 6wks covered. this year is a good one to cover the christmas hols though, as you get the additional 2 b/hs so thats 2 days covered, without taking leave

with school age kids (until they are old enough for the holiday clubs most councils run), a childminder is usually the easiest option. most do have space in the holidays, as they can have quite a few schoolage kids, and you often find that the kids they normally look after termtime, are away on holiday themselves, or their parents are luckily on termtime contracts, so spaces do become available. however, you do need to plan well in advance

F

starsandmoon

Up to the age of 8 I found there was limited holiday clubs by me. I had to pay £25 a day, mum helped as much as she could and I work part time. My employers have been flexible in the past, allowing me to change days I work and one week I worked 9.30-2.30 as she was in a dance club (I get flexi though which a lot of people dont have).

Now she is over 8 there is a holiday club that does multi sports. It is free from 10am until 3pm but if you want an early drop off/late pick up its £5. There is a huge demand for this particular club and you have to be quick. It is only on in the 6 weeks though not the half terms.

I dont have much family and my friends all work so its a juggle. Luckily mum helps a lot like at Xmas when there are 2 weeks to sort out.

Each authority has different clubs/schemes. My daughters school has a fab breakfast club and an after school club which is £8 a session. If you receive tax credits you will get help towards these costs, however the after school shuts at 5.30 so Iam limited in what hours I can work as Im a single parent. Can only do 9-5 jobs. I have a Sunday job whilst she visits her father. Very difficult fitting work around childcare at times.

Kaz2904

I have worked nights for the last 6 years. I did think that I may be able to come off them and onto day shifts once both children were at school but in reality, it's even harder to arrange childcare when they are at school. I can't see me being able to come off permanent nights for many years yet because of the school holidays. So if I have to work during the holidays, I request lots of weekends and only do nights. Hopefully that way, there aren't too many days when I have to sleep and they have to have a boring day stuck in front of the telly.
SiL is really lucky though, she has her Mum, MiL and me to fall back on. MiL offers to have mine one day a week in the holidays but she's not reliable. She'll have niece and nephew for 2-3 if needed and always offers SiL first so then wants to have mine on my only day off. I tend to refuse now because we never get any quality time otherwise. Shame but that's life.

dangers

Our local school runs a holiday club and will take them from when they are full time in reception. Otherwise, a childminder would be the best bet for a 4 year old. Due to the age of the child, childminders are allowed more than the 3 under 5.

seven-day-weekend

Have your annual leave at a different time to your partner, that should cover quite a lot of the holidays.

kazmc

As a working single parent I absolutely dread the school holidays.
My one is 9 but hates going to any of the clubs and they are so expensive. I usually use all my holiday and then just get through the rest on a wing and a prayer relying on friends. We swap kids a lot during the holidays.
It is such a nightmare and stresses me out until I feel ill

Spendless

Wrap around care at the kid's school (breakfast/asc) runs holiday clubs. Some schools that offer this will also take pupils from other schools if there are spaces, though priority may go to the pupils at the school where the scheme runs.

A local nursery runs pick ups/drop offs and holiday care for pupils thru to 11. In the days before they did this, they still offerred holiday places till a child's 6th birthday (cos the registration was 0-5). They were able to offer this due to having spaces as some nursery children were on a term-time contract (due to parent;s jobs) or there were spaces due to people on holiday.

Our football stadium runs holiday care from 7 years old to 14. I've returned to work this year, so have been using this. Last year I had to find a few days cover due to a voluntary job I had, and had to have kids in seperate places as DD was only 6. Once she turns 8 holiday care at Leisure centres will be available to her.

I find you need to be 'aware' of what your area offers/doesn't offer. Childcare for the last week of the summer hols is very poor here,so is the Christmas weeks. Fortunately for us my office is closed between Xmas and NY which takes care of 1 week and DH has several days hol to use before end of year so will tkae the other week. The children have an inset day on 4th jan thouugh, and I'm not totally sure how we are covering. (me asking to change day off, hubby working from home or neice home from Uni babyitting are likely options).

I find Inset days can be the hardest ones to cover, but I've discovered that the local private school runs a holiday club open to pupils from any school, and as some of their hols are longer, that may be an option in the future, when days are tagged onto school hols.

Some childminders offer holiday care here but it tends to be where there is a link already -eg a child that was previously childminded by them before they went to school.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

I worked nights for years and didn't sleep in the day in order to look after the kids...very difficult.

Got a part time term time contract now.

Have you though of taking up childminding so you can look after kids as well as your own?

property.advert

Thanks a lot for all the responses.

We've no family, new to the area and just had emails back from a couple of nurseries saying they close in the holidays ! No chance in hell of anything relating to my work and time off isn't an option at certain times. The missus dropping her job would be a better option and is probably going to be the only option.

I'm not comfortable with handing our child over to teenagers or wannabee child carers and neighbours is not on the agenda.

I suppose I thought the school would have to do something as I'm used to schools being private and your paying for things rather changes the equation (all this is abroad).

Early-ish days yet as it will not come about until next summer but still worth planning in advance.

ukjoel

Kimberley82 wrote: »

lock them in the cupboard under the stairs

We went for this option. We put in a Wii, and minifridge full of unhealthy snacks, and a webcam so we could keep an eye on them from the office. They loved it...

If the govt care about me being at home to look after them they can either reduce school holidays down to the same level as everyone else gets or increase mine inline with school holidays (my preferred option).